Blah blah blah
Jun. 18th, 2007 02:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksMy post is up over at Readers Gab. It pretty much sucks; I was feeling quite blank all week (hence the dearth of posting here) and felt particularly so last night when trying to come up with something to say.
One of my cousins, graduated from high school last week and his party was on Saturday. It was originally scheduled for the weekend before last but was rescheduled so family on his father's side could make it. We aren't particularly close (a 15 year age difference will do that); I had considered not attended because of a scheduling conflict, but then reconsidered: the Very Tall Cousin will graduate next year and I would NEVER miss that celebration. It seemed wrong to skip one party but not the other.
So I went to the party. Graduating Cousin (who plans to go to community college for the fall then attend St. John's College starting in the spring) lives with his sister; his father died several years ago and his mother two years ago this past Mother's Day (not a happy holiday in my family). His sister is a very organized woman -- she must be with 6 small children to take care of. She had the party planned to the smallest detail: food organized; drinks chilled; tent set up; tables; citronella candles; parking; you name it, she'd thought of it and there was a plan. I saw the usual suspects: Mommom looked very good, with her hair just done at the beauty parlor; the Boy Uncle and Young Aunt looking tanned and fit; the Very Tall Cousin who is now 6'3" and still growing and lamenting that he wants to weighs 155lbs instead of 180lbs. Also saw a lot of people on Kyle's dad's side of the family; I knew all of them from back when I worked in the seafood business that his dad used to run. And the person I was happiest to see: Elsie May, Kyle's paternal grandmother. There are people who collapse under pressure and people who just scrape by; Elsie May is neither of those. I worked with her in the seafood business and I want to be like her when I grow up. I want to be like her when I am old and gray.
Left early, hurried home, showered, changed and scurried up to Center Stage, where YAMD.org was having its fundraiser, Taste of the Arts. Live performances of Indian dancers, Chinese storytellers, a capella singers, and African drummers. Plus a silent and live auction. I floated around helping, then hung around for the break down and clean up (for the first time since joining the board, I didn't help set up -- yay!). I hate fundraisers -- my stash of small talk is limited and I get bored floating around chatting with strangers -- but this one was okay because I had tasks. My only gripe was that the AC was NOT on and it was way too hot downstairs. But the bar was open, the food was good and the performances were interesting (I especially liked the Indian dancers). Ended up finding a gift for someone who's very hard to shop for, so I'm pleased. We'll have an early estimate of the gross/net for the finance meeting on Wednesday. *fingers crossed*
I think we need to move the event to either the spring or fall, or to a different weekend at the very least. For the second year in a row, it was scheduled for the same weekend as Baltimore's Pride festival and Father's Day and the first weekend after a lot of schools have finished. A lot of our target audience has other stuff planned.
I think I'm going to be visiting San Antonio TX some time ths fall or winter. Why? Well, I spoke to my father yesterday. Found his new cell number, which was good, since his old number is disconnected or wrong, I think. He was on St. Eustacia (sp?), inspecting some boats for work (he works for a big oil company), and getting ready to have a BBQ dinner with some colleagues. He's recently relocated to SA...hence the nudge for a visit.
One of my cousins, graduated from high school last week and his party was on Saturday. It was originally scheduled for the weekend before last but was rescheduled so family on his father's side could make it. We aren't particularly close (a 15 year age difference will do that); I had considered not attended because of a scheduling conflict, but then reconsidered: the Very Tall Cousin will graduate next year and I would NEVER miss that celebration. It seemed wrong to skip one party but not the other.
So I went to the party. Graduating Cousin (who plans to go to community college for the fall then attend St. John's College starting in the spring) lives with his sister; his father died several years ago and his mother two years ago this past Mother's Day (not a happy holiday in my family). His sister is a very organized woman -- she must be with 6 small children to take care of. She had the party planned to the smallest detail: food organized; drinks chilled; tent set up; tables; citronella candles; parking; you name it, she'd thought of it and there was a plan. I saw the usual suspects: Mommom looked very good, with her hair just done at the beauty parlor; the Boy Uncle and Young Aunt looking tanned and fit; the Very Tall Cousin who is now 6'3" and still growing and lamenting that he wants to weighs 155lbs instead of 180lbs. Also saw a lot of people on Kyle's dad's side of the family; I knew all of them from back when I worked in the seafood business that his dad used to run. And the person I was happiest to see: Elsie May, Kyle's paternal grandmother. There are people who collapse under pressure and people who just scrape by; Elsie May is neither of those. I worked with her in the seafood business and I want to be like her when I grow up. I want to be like her when I am old and gray.
Left early, hurried home, showered, changed and scurried up to Center Stage, where YAMD.org was having its fundraiser, Taste of the Arts. Live performances of Indian dancers, Chinese storytellers, a capella singers, and African drummers. Plus a silent and live auction. I floated around helping, then hung around for the break down and clean up (for the first time since joining the board, I didn't help set up -- yay!). I hate fundraisers -- my stash of small talk is limited and I get bored floating around chatting with strangers -- but this one was okay because I had tasks. My only gripe was that the AC was NOT on and it was way too hot downstairs. But the bar was open, the food was good and the performances were interesting (I especially liked the Indian dancers). Ended up finding a gift for someone who's very hard to shop for, so I'm pleased. We'll have an early estimate of the gross/net for the finance meeting on Wednesday. *fingers crossed*
I think we need to move the event to either the spring or fall, or to a different weekend at the very least. For the second year in a row, it was scheduled for the same weekend as Baltimore's Pride festival and Father's Day and the first weekend after a lot of schools have finished. A lot of our target audience has other stuff planned.
I think I'm going to be visiting San Antonio TX some time ths fall or winter. Why? Well, I spoke to my father yesterday. Found his new cell number, which was good, since his old number is disconnected or wrong, I think. He was on St. Eustacia (sp?), inspecting some boats for work (he works for a big oil company), and getting ready to have a BBQ dinner with some colleagues. He's recently relocated to SA...hence the nudge for a visit.
